Sulphur-Atom Positional Engineering in Perylenimide: Structure-Property Relationships and H-aggregation Directed Type-I Photodynamic Therapy

An innovative design strategy of placing sulfur (S)-atoms within the pendant functional groups and at carbonyl positions in conventional perylenimide (PNI-O) has been demonstrated to investigate the condensed state structure-property relationship and potential photodynamic therapy (PDT) application. Incorporation of simply S-atoms at the peri-functionalized perylenimide (RPNI-O) leads to an aggregation-induced enhanced emission luminogen (AIEEgen), 2-hexyl-8-(thianthren-1-yl)-1H-benzo[5,10]anthra[2,1,9-def]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dione (API), which achieves a remarkable photoluminescence quantum yield (Phi PL) of 0.85 in aqueous environments and established novel AIE mechanisms. Additionally, substitution of the S-atom at the carbonyl position in RPNI-O leads to thioperylenimides (RPNI-S): 2-hexyl-8-phenyl-1H-benzo[5,10]anthra[2,1,9-def]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dithione (PPIS), 8-([2,2 '-bithiophen]-5-yl)-2-hexyl-1H-benzo[5,10]anthra[2,1,9-def]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dithione (THPIS), and 2-hexyl-8-(thianthren-1-yl)-1H-benzo[5,10]anthra[2,1,9-def]isoquinoline-1,3(2H)-dithion (APIS), with distinct photophysical properties (enlarged spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and Phi PL approximate to 0.00), and developed diverse potent photosensitizers (PSs). The present work provides a novel SOC enhancement mechanism via pronounced H-aggregation. Surprisingly, the lowest singlet oxygen quantum yield (Phi Delta) and theoretical calculation suggest the specific type-I PDT for RPNI-S. Interestingly, RPNI-S efficiently produces superoxide (O2(center dot)-) due to its remarkably lower Gibbs free energy (Delta G) values (THPIS: -40.83 kcal mol-1). The non-toxic and heavy-atom free very specific thio-based PPIS and THPIS PSs showed selective and efficient PDT under normoxia, as a rare example. This work unveils an S-atom positional engineering strategy generating distinct condensed state emitters with high Phi PL of 0.85 in aqueous media, rare supramolecular assembly, specific type-I photosensitizers, and H-aggregation directed selective PDT.